The Energy Ministers of 8 Baltic Sea countries - Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden - have endorsed the Vilnius Declaration, committing to enhanced collaboration for safeguarding critical offshore energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.
The Baltic Sea High-Level Energy Security Meeting 2024 convened in Vilnius, bringing together representatives from the eight Baltic Sea countries, the European Union, NATO, the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), European transmission system operators (TSOs), and the European wind industry. The Baltic Sea countries are rapidly expanding offshore wind and transmission capacity. In 2023, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden pledged to increase offshore wind in the Baltic Sea from 3.1 GW to 19.6 GW by 2030. The Vilnius Declaration reaffirms the countries' commitment to swiftly implementing actions outlined in the EU Wind Power Package to unlock the Baltic Sea's offshore wind resources. It emphasises that enhanced interconnectivity among EU Baltic Sea countries will significantly bolster Europe's energy security. To achieve this goal, the signatories aim to enhance collaboration on jointly developed hybrid offshore wind farms, establish new offshore energy hubs, and develop a more interconnected offshore wind grid. Additionally, to bolster Europe's resilience against new forms of hybrid and cyber warfare, the Baltic Sea countries seek to enhance the security of offshore and underwater infrastructure and deter potential malign activities within NATO and the EU.
